A certain boy and girl walk into a suspicious multi floored book shop, big enough to be a library with a lot of shadowy corners. The boy has black spiky hairs, bad luck a blank expression. The girl has long platinum-white hair [She not Index], which hat on head, wizard cloak handing from her shoulders and prank grin on her face.
The boy was, as always near girl, clueless. "So~o, what are we doing here again? I fail find a point on how will this help me with the incoming mock match, with that all girls school. Especially if my guide is old, super perverted, fart in coat of sweet, young girl."
The girl with almost evil grin, waved her finger with 'no, no, you are wrong' expression. "Tcs, tcs, tcs. If you think I will take you to the 'adult section only', yours little boy will be lonely tonight. This certain store is special, because it holds a work of unprofessional artists and novelists in a physical form, which you can browse at please."
.
"Let me guess. You donate a large sun for this purpose, so at last one store will host you crap work."
The girl respond even with wider grin. "Not quite, but close. On this place, you can find even 'C' class work with an authentic subscribe of author written with real old armament, mixed next to commercial pro work. The clerks who run this place have a real sense for it."
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For some reason they have passing an indoor card bazaar where sits a fat guy who have a black eye glasses on his face even when he was inside of store. He try to look like he came from some story about old dessert city and mysterious wish granting lamp.
Kamijou give that guy a glance as he follow the magician. "So what about this guy?, who look like he selling a rare card game pieces with prices so high that only rich philanthropist can afford?"
His guide continued to grin. "That's an 'Indian Poker', a true rarity tan can be only found in 'Academic city', and a pain in many asses of those who cares about personal security. It's a recorded dream that can be experienced only once, until you have ability to rewind the story back to start. Practically is a virtual dream reality that someone dreamed and you can re-experience it. If the author, dreams about practicing some sport, or play instrument, or just dream about what he/she studied, then you too will get the experience, or skill, from the session. Like how to jump more far onto distance that you originally can. It's kind of a new gen life hacks. Some girls are really hooked up on those, so you can use it to you advantage or sold this Intel to some of you college for solid in return."
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And they went into 'Fan-Fiction' section. They past lines of book shelves until they turn into a death end corner section of shop. It have shelves on both sides full of books, magazines, disk and more. On the end wall was a single bench with a small table for waiting books. On label of that section was described a Toaru section.
The White haired girl stop in middle of that section, turns to face her companion and spread her arms. "Okay boy, in order to prepare you for you 'big day' we start with something simple. Grab first thing that catch you gaze/attention!"
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The boy, ignoring the T-pose of perv, gives wary boring expression as he lightly gazes across shelf's. Then his sight catch something and his eyes widened in shock of surprise. "Wait a second!-- on that label-- isn't that?-- a Misaka, in a wedding dress??! And the one in the groom suit…" He got astonished. "That's me~e????????"
"Excellent choose my pupil." The girl grabbed the (shoe size?) cardboard box package and start reading the text on back size. "Let's see-- Hmm. ((Our unlucky hero got himself wrapped up in a political marriage with a certain lighting tsundere princes and none of them can back out from the wedding. But in the day of marriage, the others girls from his harem overact and form a pact to stop the wedding at any cost. The world peace is on stake, and our heroes have no other option that fights for their, yet undiscovered love. What ending will the destiny bring to them?))" The girl read then silently some technical data, until she nodded. "Oh, I get it. It's a collector multi-pack containing: a thick novel book, side story manga, a full digital game collection, karaoke lyric songs-book, and a full eleven season worth of anime. All content have fully or slightly different context for still fresh entertainment. Hmm... You hit a joker Level jackpot here." The girl praised him with honest surprise on her face.
.
Yet, it will be not Kamijou if he dint use his quick thinking and absence of generational prejudices. "That thing is so conventionally over powered, that if I hit it with my right fist [Image breaker], it will not only get disappear into scraps, but a crack in time-reality will appear. Who will even founding this thing? If we talking by normal standards for 20 minutes episode, for at last 12 episode per short season, and multiplied it by 11 times. That's at last 44 hours of video content, and I don't count other formats of art. It's ridiculous for single wedding day!"
"Do not underestimate the burning flame of passion, that artists have for they baby. For someone of us, profits are not the goal that drives us. In that case we want the art get to the audience even if we have to pay for it. Hmm…" The girl studied the price label. "The price is fishing rood itself. It's either not too low or not too high, so it make you think about its value, if is actually worth it. In the end, the amount of thinking about it make sure, that so many potential buyers will decide to take it, just because they spend so much effort thinking about it. So…" She looks at him and tries to hand the box over to him. "Buy it!"
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Of course he smell a trickery. "Of course, Senpai. After that, I will push it entirely up to you ass."
The girl, for a two seconds stare at the box with a serious look, studying it. "Nope-- No matter what you think is possible, there's no way you can stuff 'all this' into me."
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On the other hand the boy have now really scary angry look on his face. "One day,-- one day, you will begging me to make a joke."
"I can't, imagine you making a joke on my request. Of all persons I know-- I just can't imagine it."
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The boy instantly reach for the shelf and grab a huge book. It have a night themed cover dominated by a white haired skinny boy with red eyes. He swung that brick and smash the girl head on.
With a painful groan, she got down on all for limbs. "'Ouch!' The sub-context was too heavy, and they call it a 'light novel'."
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A second strike arrived immediately, and the girl spread over the floor. With a heavy though on his mind he blankly stare forward on shelf in front of him.
When the girl stands up, she looked in his stare direction a grabbed what was in his line of sight, but not seen by him. "Let's see…" On cover was a big luxurious wooden sail ship and a tropical island. She starts reading the back side text. "((A certain full girl's school was on a trip. Bud they crash landed on an uninhabited island, due to fact that certain unlucky boy who has board the ship by mistake. As those pure maidens, are isolated from outside world and proper lady supremacy education, they start to experience 'the wild side' of their womanhood. For how long?, the boy can stay free from the girls 'heat'?))"
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A dark expression comes to the black haired boy face and the white haired red eyed boy strike for third time. Sending the girl on the book shelf's, face first. Of course she drops the book about paradise island on the floor.
As she slides down a new novel candidate to buy decide to leave the shelf, on his own will [due to shocks/vibrations from that girl's collision], and visited her face, by free fall. "Ouch!" A moment passes until she start to move again. She reach for the book on her face to give it a better look. "Hm? Who is this maiden, that dares to forces itself on me in such forcefully crush way? Speak about a fateful meeting." On the cover was just a short, long red haired girl who barefooted stood on roof of some skyscraper in evening dress, and looked on sunset. "Hmm. ((Our Image breaker and Tele-porter joined forces to save the day with an unusual result.)) What a catchy one liner. A truly single line entry, to cast an interest by not telling too much or too little. So let see…"
*
She opened the book nearly at end and start reading aloud. "(('I hate, you!' Spat the petite girl as she burrows her face into his chest and began to hits him with her closed fist. 'I hate, you! I hate, you! I, really, really, hate you!' She repeated while still slamming him.
But the boy dint waver or defend himself against those hits. He doesn't sense a single malice or usual hostility from the girl, nor the serious strength in the blows as they slowly come to stop.
Her red twin ponytails start to shiver as she sobs trying as hard as she can to suppress her tears. 'I can't go anymore, like this. I have something to say to you, so listen carefully, and don't you dare to run away.' She grabbed his shirt so forcefully, it's nearly look like she will tear it apart. 'On the other day, when I made that master piece of picnics food, I was not thinking on Sissy, when I was working on it. When we spread jokes in front of that wedding dress store, and see our reflections in the glass, see our mirror images matching the dresses, I dint imagine Sissy in the groom outfit. When that imp girl has messing around, and I go furious, I seriously was not jealous about her huge boobs. And finally, yesterday on the conference, I was not jealous about you standing next to Sissy, I was jealous on my Sissy.'
Her voice start shivers around. 'My Sissy, god dammit!!'
She spat angrily. 'I am her Harold; I swore that I will be always on her side. So tell me why?! Why, I betraying my Sissy?! Why, I hate see you with anyone else?! Why, I don't wanna leave you side?! You have no style, brain, luck, class or Level. And I'm good dam lesbian who still trying for my Sissy.'
She catches the breath and got as serious as she can. 'So listen up! It doesn't matter, that you have results, and you are unlucky... I don't care!! Because--' She waited for second. 'I accuse you from thievery! The stolen item is my maiden hart. So I arresting you and I demand as a compensation that you will voluntarily hand over, you hart, to me! Whatever it take, I confiscating it! You don't need to have any worries. I will, take a good care of it. So…' She paused and calmed down.
What the boy heard next make him finally to react. It was the legendary line. A tree words that any person want to hear from their crush and lover. But more immortally,-- for the first time ever,-- she say his birth name and not any kind on nickname as usual. As he hugs her, and the small girl start crying in his arm with happiness, he got tears into his eyes to.
After few minutes the girl look up to boy face. And he takes his palm on her cheek. The girl closed her eyes and slightly opens her mouth. The stupid boy, got it, and lover his head to her… ...…))"
*
The female reader suddenly lost control over the book and start protest. "Hey!! What the heck are you doing?"
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The spiky haired boy grabbed the book and takes it away from the platinum-white haired girl. "Do you have a death wish?! Or you just want raise the 'death flag' above our heads? Or are you some kind of professional pisser, who just must do it? To anger everybody he can?"
But the girl put her hands on her hips. "If you dint like my job description, just say it."
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The boy clenched his right fist tightly. "Answer me this. How, can any of 'those' here, help me with the tournament?"
She once again wave her pointing finger in 'No-no!' gesture. "Boy, boy… Can you tell why that brow haired sparkly girl, sometimes acting, like a kitty who want you attention and petting, and sometimes she acts like she wants you eradicate from this planet surface? Can you?"
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"...….."
She shrugs her shoulders. "You missing the essential knowledge that those book contains. Hmm… Maybe the format is too difficult for you to handle." She walks around the shelves looking for some more specific art. "Then how about this?" She grabbed a manga with a ghost girl in hot spring jukata. She immediately turning her attention on back side text. "((...It's about a boy who comes investigate a hot springs that are hunted by a ghost girl with long silver hair. Rumors say, that sometime at night, if a visitor roaming around the campus, a grudge crawling and hungry roar can be heard. And if the customer is unlucky enough, all-seeing piercing-gaze of the ghost can finalize the fate of careless traveler.))"
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"That not ghost but Index and her bottomless stomach after diet routine. Stop messing with me! I can already name the entire cast and their occupation, without even read it!"
"How about this?" She grabbed a different book. On its cover were four girls styled in RPG medieval theme, standing on the road of journey. "((Fifty years ago, the seven vampire matriarchs signed a peace treaty with Judgment in an effort to reach co-existence between monster and man. However, in this world of conflict and secrets, something moves beneath the surface. Without their knowledge, the most pressing events and secrets, involves the matriarch Railgun and her unusual pack of friends. Join them for the craziest adventure of their life!))"
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"Unfortunately, the series died years ago without proper ending. Don't dare to trying to hopping, that by mentioning it, the story will somehow, in a mysterious way come back to live."
Once again she raise the 'No-no!' finger, proudly correcting him. "It was a four years, and an unofficial mess-up finishing sequel was released, catching a popularity."
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But he bark back at her. "Stop trying to drag me onto yours 'breaking a fourth wall' scheme! I have a pressing problem on hand."
The witch girl sighed heavily and starts looking the book shelves again. "This looking good enough." She grabbed book with sport motive on its cover. As always she ignored the labeled name and start reading the back side text. "((On a Daihasei Festival, in order to have at last some chance for victory, students from Certain High School, during the official matches, pulls a bunch of super heavy pranks on Tokiwadai Middle School ladies. But the boys highly underestimate what damage they cast on those pure maidens pride and harts. In revenge, those girls went on full crusade against those sinners. As the girls, completely outside the rules, matches and observation of Daihasei, constantly hunting down all contestant of the enemy team, their wrath became evolving into something else, on what they pure girls harts have not been prepared by any means.))"
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He point at that book as if it was an obvious un-hidden land-mine in middle of the road. "There's no way, that something so convenient exists in this world. If yes, it must be jinxed from top to the bottom. Mostly it will backfire so heavily, that I already know, that I want stay away from it."
On contrast she look touched for moment, as if the boy was throwing a pointless tantrum. "Don't be so melodramatic, I will read it for you." She opened the book somewhere, quickly listed a few pages to start from some random capitol. She began to read at laud.
*
"((So it's time to start. The game was about tossing balls lying on the field, into buckets up on long sticks. The girls has been on small numbers, but at same time, double terrifying that any foe around, because at back of their formation, stand a pair from group of seven that are on level 5. The team of Certain High School is great in number of players. They have been allowed use tool and equipment with limitation that it must be something that can be naturally, randomly found on streets and cannot be classified directly as weapon.
So the high scholars, directly on stadium field near to middle line but next to the side line, decided to raise a construction site that look like a tent. They sneak in items and furniture covered by white blankets so nobody can see what they are preparing inside that tent. Especially when they make it on side of the field, so it nearly looked like nurse tent, it was clear that it can't interfere with throwing the balls, unless it contain something like a giant table fan, with will be against rules. It's looked too much suspicious that commentators runs a wild theories about the tent and what secret weapon can hide it. Someone even stated it can be a 'one of time' limited express sell-out event hot fashion stall.
Before start of the match a referee comes to check the tent and its content. That referee very quickly make approval for it, staying silent.
Normally, the game start with a whistle, bud this time 'Certain high' asked that it will start with a loud countdown. As this unexpected countdown start going down, Tokiwadai girls observed that on enemy team a classmates grabbed a certain spiky haired boy, who look completely confused (as they dint told him this part of plan) and carried him into the tent.
Few second before the countdown runs out and match starts the tent walls drop down revealing whats inside. It was something as personal field restaurant, or Gazebo. [garden furniture, a rest sitting] It was a nice spot for a romantic dinner; with already prepared food, drinks, waiting waitress and musicians with guitars. The showy table have single sofa bench for two, and the certain male has been already present on it, siting in middle. Only the female site was missing... And for that purpose a person stand front of that tent with a crowd control orientation sign on pole: 'Limited offer. Free date with gentlemen. Now only!'
Of course, the Tokiwadai girls get immediately stunned with confused expression.
But on the front of Tokiwadai formation has standing lady Mitsuko Kongou with her hand fan. She overact loudly and nearly in panicking she turn to her team. 'Girls, don't fall for that trick!!' Even if she yells at entire group, two from the pack has already hasty marching toward the tent. So she calls after the duo nearly in desperation. 'Misaka san, Shokuhou sempai!!: Wake up!! It's obviously a trap!!'
But it was in vein, both of the girls have already been in (shoulder to shoulder contest), trying to unnoticeable (for observers) push the other one from the way. Both of them were saying to other in a clever way: [Give up!, and get out of my way!]
The commentators' discuses about this (Certain High School) tactic and if is even legal to use it. But they got to agreement, that to compete talent on other side; the first must pull-up an adequate strategy. But on the other hand, they make a joke about that those girls are from study gardens that don't allow boys in, and the 'experiences from a date' was to juicy bait to not hook on it with all might. Especially, if we talk about the most prominent students between young ladies, whose are hungry for some love.
People on tribunes were shouting a lot on both teams, but it was just a to noisy background to get any from it.
Kongou astonished looked on those two as they invite themselves to the sofa, and literally start competing for the boy attention. The moment she gives up on retrieving them with a deep sigh, by corner of her eye, she notices a movement of a ball, followed by silent insult [idiot] from someone to someone, even though there was a noisy backdrop from the audience. She looked across the line on enemy team, who just only stand there against them, watching... Some of them have a sweat on their faces as they notice her gaze. Then she noticed (noises) on other side of game area as was the tent, and looked there.
And she saw as: A Entire group of students, who at moment the game has start, sneaked out from back lines of Certain High School formation. As they was away from the Tokiwadai team field of view, as silently as they have managed, they all were throwing their team balls into most corner bucked, taking a huge lead in this match.
Kongou wide her eyes in surprise. Second, two passes as she was taking a breath into her lungs, until she start yelling as Lady in panic. 'AAAAAAAAAAA!!! We got tricked!!!'
The entire stunned Tokiwadai team looks at direction she pointing with her hand fan. The surprised maiden reaction from before got multiplied by the entire team as they make a choral of 'Eeeeeh?'.
From that moment, the real battle starts as both team clashed at full strength.))"
*
With the sound of book being loudly closed, the platinum-white haired girl stop reading. "Read the rest by yourself!" She tries to handover that book to the boy.
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But he keep his distance. "There's no way I voluntarily stepping on this land mine!"
"Okay, so I will read it to you before your bed time."
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The boy sighed heavily. "Listen up. No matter how much you wish for the events to juicy up, there no way in million years that it will be any near to what you try present with those books. The Zapper [Mikoto] isn't this type of naive girl, not she will think for a second by this way." For moment the boy almost looks sad.
This time, it was the girl who sighed at someone ignorance. "Hey, look! If you want to know how I will do a neutral reaction on your matter. Just ask the dam 'sparkle' for a walk. Ask her if she will just walk with you for while and talk. Don't forget to politely stretch you right arm to her, in order that you two will holding hands during that walk. It will be propriety for etiquette that she must follow as 'lady in study'. Secondary, because of you ability in that hand, as long as you will holds hands, it will prevent her getting all sparkle at you if you manage say something dummy. Then you just walk around and talk it out everything you need. Then just visit game arcade, movie theater, or accessory shops."
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Boy was not buying that. "And here we again… You are forcing that unreal image of boy-girl novel romance on the two of us. Stop acting like senile grandma who desire a grandchildren. Can we change the peace? How about we go to next section?"
Magician dint mind that suggestion. "Sure, I am okay with that. Dint knows, that you have grown up so much, to think in that way. The next section is of course more than twice bigger that this one and has the same Toaru feelings. But, I must inform you, that the next section contain adult only content. The shells are colored with specific colors for each genre so even person covered by a large detective coat, wide hat, half face mask, gloves and big coal-black eye-glasses, can find quickly what his heart desire."
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"And why?, do you know this so accurate?"
"Well, try guess the name of certain specific author, whose cheap books inhabit a whole 10% of that section? I saw a lot of those art seekers there."
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"You dam pervert! You just want check, if someone has bought any of you cheap porn books! It was total mistake from me, for a second to think, that you will be any help. That it's, I leaving!"
"Wait! If you leave right now, without even reading anything, then you will fail the main plot [of this story], for what we are here."
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"I don't care!!!" The boy shouts loudly. He clenched tightly his right fist. "I am Kamijou Touma, and I will destroy yours over-stupid Illusions about fan-fiction!!" With this declaration, as he roar, he slam his right fist into that witch hated girl face, knocking her cold out. With angry stemming, he finally depart.
When the girl wake up, and look into the ceiling she starts thinking aloud. "Wait for a moment, dint he depart with that thick book that he took earlier? If I get it right, and that book is about 'Boys-Romance', then the things will get interest anyway." She create an evil grin on her face. Then-- she began to giggle-- that eventually burst into a laugh.
After that short laugh (directly from her heart), she stood up, placing books back to shelf's. Afterpicking up her witch hat shetoo decided to leave the book store.
But... not until she will visit a certain section and check her books for marks of peaking-inside or readings by readers.
End
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[By: Dretnoth: Jan 2020. Edit 23. Aug 2024.]
I had so much fun writing this FF. I hope you had fun reading it. Thank you all for being awesome. Thank for this IDF challenge [International Fanworks Day 2020] that make possible to put so much of the crazy FF stories that I have in mind (bud dint fit into my main FF story) to pull out on single story as this one. I on purpose dint say the name of 'the girl' for not spoiling anything, but most of you probably already know who that person is. So at the end I will say this: "Wake up you Soul! It's never too late."
(23. Aug 2024) Damn, those typos. Move a single letter in a word on a wrong spot and the word have another meaning. Bad thing is when you learn a wrong way how to type certain often used conjunction. Anyway four years latter and I think I definitely get better at English, especially if it is not my native language. Surely, there will be some hidden typos, or miss interpretation, but still: What count is the story. We will meed next time.